David Schwarz, who played 173 games with the Demons, fears a heavy sanction could pose a serious threat to the club's future.Picture: Fiona Hamilton Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE great David Schwarz hopes any penalty that might flow from the league's tanking investigation will not "cripple" the club.

The AFL is today expected to serve the Demons with evidence gained from its five-month probe into their list management in 2009.

While Melbourne could be hit with heavy fines or loss of draft picks, there is mounting belief the AFL would prefer to penalise individuals, rather than the club, if it is found guilty of deliberately losing games under former coach Dean Bailey.

Melbourne has pledged to vigorously defend any charges and has suggested it would be willing to take the fight to the Supreme Court.

The AFL has interviewed and re-interviewed a host of former and current officials who were at the club in 2009.

President Don McLardy said yesterday he had not seen the interview transcripts that are expected to be presented to Bailey, chief executive Cameron Schwab and former football operations manager Chris Connolly.

"Whatever it is, you just hope it doesn't hurt or cripple the club. That said, if individuals have done the wrong thing, then they have got to be held accountable."

If the AFL does lay charges, it is likely to happen late next month, in order to give the Demons time to respond to the evidence and prepare their defence.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has warned any person found guilty of manipulating the result of a match would "never work in football again".

Connolly is at the centre of the storm after it was reported he reminded football officials about the importance of losing matches to improve the club's draft position.

But Robert Shaw, who was Fremantle's football operations manager when Connolly coached the Dockers, said Connolly could not have been "solely responsible".

"My gut feeling is the focus on Chris is concerning," Shaw said. "These types of suggestions and allegations could not purely be the work of Chris Connolly."

Shaw said Connolly's work helping raise money for the Demons and the Dockers helped save the two clubs.

"I always found him to be a person of integrity and strong football character," he said.

"The work he did when he first went to Fremantle, I reckon he saved the two clubs.

"His appetite for work and to get out and raise sponsorship singlehandedly at Fremantle, and knock on doors himself, all that sort of stuff is unfairly forgotten in the mist that is tanking allegations.

"He always had the best interests of his football club at heart."

TANKING TIMELINE

JULY, 2012

CARLTON midfielder and former Demon Brock McLean re-ignites the tanking debate when he reveals in an interview on Fox Footy's On the Couch a major reason he wanted to leave Melbourne was because of its strategy of deliberately losing games.

"You can't create a good culture by going out and experimenting and trying to get draft picks and losing games of football,'' McLean said.

McLEAN is called to AFL headquarters to face integrity chief Brett Clothier over his explosive claims the Demons tanked in 2008-2009.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou promises severe punishment for any side found guilty of tanking, encouraging anyone with knowledge of tanking to come forward.

"We shouldn't sweep it under the carpet,'' Demetriou said.

"If they've got information that can prove, that's supportive of the fact that a club lost a game on purpose to achieve a particular outcome that is a serious allegation and I would encourage them to come forward.

"Any issue that involves integrity of the code, any issue, is something we should thump on the head.

"That's my strong position.''

MELBOURNE president Don McLardy launches a passionate defence of the club's integrity in the wake of the AFL's tanking investigation.

"I want to make it very clear that we will defend our club's integrity in the strongest fashion,'' McLardy said.

"For anyone to suggest that our players did not give their all every time they ran on to the field is not acceptable to us.''

AFL intensifies its tanking investigation, interviewing former coaches and key football figures, including former senior coach Dean Bailey.

OCTOBER, 2012

THE AFL uncovers details of a meeting, addressed by former football boss Chris Connolly, of the Demons' football department in which the need to play for draft picks was reinforced.

A SECOND member of Melbourne's 2009 wooden-spoon winning team claims then coach Dean Bailey was under fierce pressure to lose matches deliberately.

Source: Herald Sun

"It was disgusting what was going on and you felt for 'Bails' because everyone knew he was under the pump to lose,'' said the player, who the Herald Sun agreed not to name.

"Players had meetings and asked him what was going on but there was nothing he could do.''

NOVEMBER, 2012

A THIRD Melbourne player reveals coach Dean Bailey called a player meeting to signal a sudden change in tactics midway through the 2009 season.

A FORMER Melbourne sponsor reveals a Melbourne Football Club official boasted openly about tanking at a meeting of big sponsors.

"It was an off the cuff remark regarding the No.1 draft pick,'' the company representative said.

"He said words to the effect of, `We made sure that happened'.''

DECEMBER, 2012

THE AFL has asked Melbourne to respond to evidence that could lead to the club being charged with tanking for draft picks in 2009. The league said its five-month investigation was complete and a report of evidence would be provided to all relevant parties.

PERSONS OF INTEREST

Chris Connolly, Dees football manager

Cameron Schwab, Melbourne CEO

Brock McLean, Melbourne player in 2009

Dean Bailey, Melbourne coach in 2009

James McDonald, former Demons skipper

Scott West, ex-Melbourne assistant coach

Barry Prendergast, former Demons recruiting manager

Josh Mahoney, then assistant coach, now football manager

WHAT THE RULES SAY

"A person, being a player, coach or assistant coach, must at all times perform on their merits and must not induce, or encourage, any player, coach or assistant coach not to perform on their merits in any match - or in relation to any aspect of the match, for any reason whatsoever.'' - AFL Regulations 19(A5)

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